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Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Health Update

It's been awhile since I've updated on my health and the Prism Diet. And for the most part, things are going great!

Let's talk about allergies first. I feel like I have discovered a secret that everyone needs to know about! My health has taken a complete 180 as far as my allergies are concerned. A couple of months ago, I had to make sure I had my inhaler with me at all times, and would use it every 4 hours. I'd wake up multiple times in the middle of the night having violent coughing fits. I was completely congested. We couldn't even open our windows, or else I'd pretty much be up all night, unable to breathe, and coughing like crazy.

About 3 weeks into the program with my chiropractor, things started really making a change. I was not eating much sugar or dairy, and no wheat at all. I was also taking a supplement called Antronex, which supports the liver and also the body's natural antihistamine function. And now, 7 weeks after starting, I feel better than I have in over a year. All without the help of allergy pills, more steroids, more antibiotics, or my inhaler. I have no side effects! I am still in awe.

Another reason I started going to the chiropractor was for my fertility issues. I'm on a number of supplements to support my adrenal and thyroid glands, because they are not functioning properly. And without going into too much detail, I'll just say that the supplements plus dietary changes have really gotten my body back to doing what it's supposed to be doing, and I'm really excited!

And finally, the other thing I wanted to "fix" was my stomach, and the major pain and cramping that I've been experiencing on and off for almost 3 years. Unfortunately, we haven't quite nailed that one down yet. We did discover that I'm very lactose intolerant (which I kind of already knew), so I'm really limiting my dairy consumption. However, this weekend my stomach pains were the worst they've ever been. I have been drinking a bit of Diet Coke, and adding Stevia or Ideal sweeteners to things. So my guess is that it's either the caffeine or the sweeteners that are irritating my stomach, and I might just need to stay away from them. I guess I just have a really sensitive stomach, and I'm going to have to watch what I eat for the rest of my life in order to avoid being sick all the time.

As far as weight loss goes, I've lost about 12 pounds since a year and a half ago, when I was my highest weight ever, but about 7 pounds since I actually started the program. I feel great, and my clothes are fitting much better, and most of my pants are getting too big. I am really excited about this, and it is great to not be dreading swimsuit season this year! I a starting to run 3 days a week to get a little more toned as well. My goal is to look the same, and be the same weight as I was on my wedding day.

Just to touch on the Prism Diet a bit...it's been difficult! The diet is extremely strict and rigid. However, I'm finding a lot of great things that I can still eat. Here's an example of what I might eat on a normal day:

Scrambled eggs and fruit for breakfast

A salad and some form of protein for lunch. For example, yesterday I had a salad of spinach, strawberries, sunflower seeds, and balsamic vinaigrette, with a few slices of leftover pork tenderloin.

For dinner I usually make some form of protein, vegetables, and a starch. Last night I baked chicken marinated in this honey mustard sauce (it's like my favorite thing right now), sauteed yellow squash and onion, and brown rice.

I also usually have a snack sometime in the evening. Some examples of the snacks I've been eating lately are: grapes, strawberries, nuts, oatmeal, or anything with peanut butter (all natural) if I still have a lot of calories left for the day (I am trying to stay between 1,000 and 1,200 calories per day based on Prism's requirements).

Overall, I'm feeling great and seeing great improvements in my whole life. From being able to go outside for more than a few seconds without wheezing for the rest of the night, to having softer hair and stronger nails. I don't think I'll ever go back to my bad eating habits, because I feel like a new person!